Exchange 2013 End of Life Date Announced – Course of Action Explained
Just like Microsoft ended the support service for Exchange 2010 server in October 2022, the same is happening with Exchange 2013. The tech giant released Exchange 2013 end of support on April 11, 2023. That means after this date, you will no longer receive the following services from Microsoft.
- Technical support if any problem occurs in the server.
- Bug fixes for issues that may affect the server’s stability and usability.
- Security solutions for vulnerabilities i.e. your server may be vulnerable to security breaches.
- Updates regarding Time Zone.
So, if you have yet to think about upgrading your current Exchange 2013 server, then this is the right time to consider the same. Likewise, the users of Exchange server 2010, preferred to migrate from Exchange 2010 to Office 365.
Understand Why It Is Crucial to Upgrade Your Existing Exchange 2013
First of all, from the security point of view, it’s very important. Though after the Exchange 2013 end-of-support date, the server will continue to run, however, security updates will not be sent to you. In return, your server will be left vulnerable to different types of cyber-attacks.
In fact, the way cybercriminals are targeting companies (regardless of business type) through ransomware attacks, organizations are bearing a huge cost to recover themselves from such attacks.
Secondly, not upgrading from Exchange 2013 would greatly impact the productivity of your organization. Let’s understand this with the help of a scenario. Suppose you are running Exchange 2013 server even after the end of the support date. Suddenly, the server faced some technical issues.
Since Microsoft will no longer give technical assistance, your organization’s day-to-day operation will be hampered till that’s resolved. And, you can imagine how much business loss it could cause (the bigger the business the bigger the loss).
So, What Could be the Next Move to Tackle Microsoft Announcement for Exchange 2013 End of Life?
Basically, you have two choices that you can opt for.
- Upgrade to a higher version (preferably 2019) of the Exchange server and/or
- Migrate to Exchange Online Platform
However, the 1st option would be helpful to some extent i.e. till Microsoft declares the end of support date for the Exchange 2019 server. That means if you go for the 1st option, then at some point in time, you will have to again think about migrating your data to the cloud.
In other words, upgrading to 2019 would not be as beneficial as migrating to the cloud platform. Now, if you are not sure how to shift from the traditional server to the cloud platform then refer to the next section.
What Are Your Options After Microsoft Exchange 2013 End of Support Date?
Of the two options that you have, the better option is to move the on-premise data to the cloud platform. Now, to move your data safely to the cloud, we have two solutions for you as described in the upcoming section.
The first option is to use a tried & tested tool. If you have technical experts in your organization, then you can use SysTools Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool. This DIY tool will successfully move your crucial data to the desired location. However, it is recommended to check out the complete Exchange migration checklist to ensure error-free data transfer.
Software Working Steps to Deal with Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 End of Life Support
Step 1. Download from the below link, install and Run the tool, on your computer.
Step 2. Select Exchange as the source and Office 365 as the Destination from the main screen of the software.
Step 3. From Workload Selection, enable the required workload of mailbox categories such as Email, Contact, Calendar, etc. Apply date filter for selective migration (if required). Then click on Next.
Step 4. Provide the source Exchange details including, Exchange Version, Admin Email, Application ID, Active Directory IP, and Exchange Server IP. Click on Validate button to validate required permissions and click on the Next button.
Step 5. Use the destination Office 365 admin account credentials to log in to the software. Provide Office 365 Admin Email, and Application ID. Click on Validate button to validate required permissions and click on the Next button.
Step 6. Create user mapping for Bulk migration, validate required permission and click on the Start Migration button.
Undoubtedly, you will be able to perform the migration with the help of the tool. Still, if you need any technical assistance during migration then support will be provided without fail.
On the other hand, if you are not confident enough to use the tool without an expert’s help and want to simplify your journey to the cloud. Then, you can opt for Professional Cloud Migration Services before the end of Microsoft Exchange 2013’s life. With this, you don’t have to worry about anything because cloud experts will take care of the end-to-end process.
In a Nut Shell
Microsoft Exchange servers come with many benefits but at the same time have some limitations. And, the end of support date is one of them. The Exchange 2013 end-of-support date is going to expire soon in near future. Thus, it’s a wise choice to prepare yourself for migration to the cloud (Exchange Online) and/or upgrade your server to a higher version.